Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1545062
18 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 24 MAY 2026 NEWS ELECTION 2026 PN published its manifesto: THE Nationalist Party last week published its electoral pro- gramme titled Nifs Ġdid. The document is divided in 16 chap- ters covering various aspects of life and governance. Below are some key proposals: 1. ECONOMY • A shift to high-value sec- tors: Transitioning Malta's economic model away from a reliance on sheer population growth and toward high-val- ue, knowledge-based industries like digital technology, artifi- cial intelligence, and specialised manufacturing. • Creation of new economic pillars: Direct investment and regulatory support to foster emerging sectors, including the blue economy (maritime), green technology, and advanced avia- tion services. • Tax relief and incentives: Im- plementing targeted tax reduc- tions for small and medium en- terprises (SMEs) and specialised startups to stimulate local entre- preneurship and attract foreign direct investment (FDI). • Infrastructure for commerce: Upgrading industrial zones and business parks with modern, sustainable infrastructure to lower operational costs and im- prove logistical efficiency. 2. FINANCE AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE •Restoring international repu- tation: Executing rigorous com- pliance and governance reforms to solidify Malta's standing within international financial institutions, ensuring the juris- diction remains stable and at- tractive. • Combatting bureaucracy: Streamlining the banking and due diligence processes for local businesses and citizens by intro- ducing a centralised, efficient know-your-customer (KYC) system to cut red tape. • Fiscal responsibility: A com- mitment to reducing the na- tional deficit and national debt through disciplined public spending, optimising the return on public investments. • Support for financial services sector: Modernising regulatory to provide faster, more agile li- censing procedures for fintech, insurance, and wealth manage- ment firms. 3. INFRASTRUCTURE AND TRANSPORT • Mass transit system: Initi- ating a comprehensive, mul- ti-phase mass transit project to serve as the backbone of Malta's public transportation. • Alternative and active mo- bility: Investing heavily in seg- regated bicycle lanes, pedestri- anised pathways, and safe urban corridors to decrease private ve- hicle dependency. • Road network optimisation: Redesigning critical bottlenecks and junctions with an emphasis on safety, smart traffic manage- ment technology, and long-term durability. • Maritime connectivity: Ex- panding the internal ferry net- work between seaside localities to offer a viable, fast alternative to road commuting. 4. ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE • Urban green enclaves: Pur- chasing private lands in urban cores to convert them into pub- lic parks, gardens, and green spaces for communities. • Carbon neutrality targets: Accelerating the transition to renewable energy sources by offering aggressive subsidies for residential and commercial solar installations and offshore clean energy projects. • Afforestation and biodiversi- ty: Launching a nationwide af- forestation strategy, prioritising the planting of indigenous trees and the ecological restoration of valleys. • Planning reforms: Overhaul- ing planning policies to curb over-development, protect rural areas (ODZ), and preserve tra- ditional Maltese architectural aesthetics. 5. HEALTH • Mental health reform: Inte- grating mental health services entirely into the main health- care ecosystem, constructing a new acute mental health hospi- tal near Mater Dei, and modern- ising Mount Carmel Hospital. • Hospitals: Build new hospi- tals in Gozo and the north of Malta, extend the Paola Censu Moran facility into a hospital and extend Mater Dei Hospital • Primary and community care: Strengthening regional health hubs and local clinics to offer advanced diagnostic ser- vices closer to patients' homes, reducing pressure on the main general hospital. • Preventative healthcare pro- grammes: Launching nation- wide, funded initiatives tar- geting obesity, cardiovascular health, and early cancer screen- ings. 6. EDUCATION • Teaching profession: Sub- stantially increasing the salaries and improving the working con- ditions of educators to make the profession attractive to top-tier talent. • Modernisation of curricula: Shifting the focus of primary and secondary education to- ward critical thinking, digital literacy, financial education, and soft skills rather than pure rote learning. • School infrastructure over- haul: Embarking on a nation- wide refurbishment programme to transform schools into mod- ern, climate-controlled, and digitally integrated learning en- vironments. • Lifelong learning: Providing fully funded retraining €1,000 vouchers extendable every three years for adult workers to learn new skills. 7. SOCIAL POLICY, FAMILY AND PENSIONS • Pensions: Restructuring the pension system to ensure the national minimum pension matches the actual cost of living, protecting senior citizens from the risk of poverty. • Work-life balance: Introduc- ing fiscal incentives for com- panies that implement flexible working arrangements, remote working, and paternal leave options beyond the legal mini- mums. • Affordable housing schemes: Expanding the social housing stock and partnering with the private sector to offer afforda- ble, long-term rental options for young couples and low-income earners. • Combatting modern poverty: Strengthening targeted social benefits for vulnerable cohorts, including single-parent house- holds and individuals living with severe disabilities. 8. SECURITY, JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS • Community policing ex- pansion: Deploying a visible, dedicated community policing presence across all towns and villages in Malta and Gozo to deter crime and improve local- ised public safety. • Efficiency in the justice sys- tem: Digitising court registries, appointing more members to the judiciary, and modernising legal procedures to drastically reduce the duration of civil and criminal court cases. • Law enforcement modernisa- tion: Upgrading the equipment, offer specialised training, and improve salaries of the Police Force, Civil Protection Depart- KARL AZZOPARDI kazzopardi@mediatoday.com.mt